1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a eyeglass lens connector with interchangeable lenses, and relates to eyeglasses with interchangeable lenses using the lens connector. In addition, the present invention relates to a lens forming substrate using the eyeglass lens connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several types of eyeglasses for the intended use. For example, there are clip-on eyeglasses configured to enable sunglasses to be worn by detachably clipping them onto the main eyeglass frames.
Examples of clip-on eyeglasses include clip-on eyeglasses mounted to body eyeglasses via clips to be flippable as disclosed in 1. Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication S58-91721 and 2. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication S50-120641, and clip-on eyeglasses mounted to body eyeglasses to be flippable via elastic curved engagement pieces that can be engaged to outer edges or inner edges of right and left lenses of the body eyeglasses as disclosed in 3. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2003-241149. Alternatively, other clip-on eyeglasses equipped with both attachment lenses for covering both lenses of the body eyeglasses from the front surface side are detachable to the lens frame of the body eyeglasses, but not flip-up type as disclosed in 4. Japanese Utility Model Registration 3117580 and 5. Japanese Utility Model Registration 3125901.
Among these clip-on eyeglasses, when the eyeglasses configured to be flippable are mounted to the body eyeglasses, the eyeglasses can be used as sunglasses when the clip-on eyeglasses are down; in the meantime, when a user enters a dark place, such as a tunnel during driving a car, flipping-up the lenses enables securing and seeing the field of vision with the body eyeglasses and to secure safe driving.
In addition, flip-up eyeglasses where lenses are mounted to upper cord parts to be flippable so as to cover the lower portions (portions facing eyes) of the upper cord parts of the both front frames of eyeglasses whose right and left upper cord parts are connected with a connector as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication S58-100315 are also proposed. If the flip-up eyeglasses are, for example, eyeglasses for farsightedness including reading eyeglasses, when the flip-up eyeglasses are down, a user can something positioned away, such as scenery. In the meantime, when seeing something closer, such as reading newspaper or books, the user can easily see by flipping the lenses up. Further, when the flip-up eyeglasses are sunglasses, they can be used as sunglasses when the eyeglasses are down; in the meantime, when a user enters a dark place, such as when entering a tunnel when driving a car, he/she can secure the field of vision with the naked eye by flipping the eyeglasses up, and safety driving can be secured.
In such clip-on eyeglasses and flip-up eyeglasses, as one mode of configuration to mount lenses to right and left connecting pieces of the lens connecting member, in addition to the eyeglasses where lenses are filled into right and left rims, simple mounting structures where lenses are secured to the connecting pieces using rivets or screws, for example, as shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 1, FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 2, FIG. 6 of Patent Literature 3, FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 4, FIG. 3 of Patent Literature 5 and FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 6 are also provided.
Needless to say, in clip-on eyeglasses and flip-up eyeglasses where lenses are fitted into the rims, and even with simple clip-on eyeglasses and flip-up eyeglasses, because the lenses are secured to a mounting piece by riveting or a lapped flat seam, lens exchange was not originally included in the design. In addition, after riveting and a lapped flat seam, because the lenses cannot be cut due to these members, the lens shape is determined first and cut, and after the riveting and lapped flat seam are applied, it is necessary to supply eyeglasses to the retail stores in the finished state. However, actual customers desire different lens shape or eyeglasses with a prescription; therefore, the desire of the customers cannot be satisfied on the spot.
Further, different eyeglasses may be appropriately used for different purposes. For example, it is preferable to use light-shielding sunglasses, especially sunglasses with polarizing lenses in the case of outdoor activities, such as fishing, golf, winter sports or driving. In such a case, a user wears normal eyeglasses or sunglasses until he/she arrives at the destination, and wears sunglasses with polarizing lenses at the destination. Further, in daily life, people use different sunglasses with different colors for the purpose of fashion.
However, since conventional eyeglasses do not change lenses at a store before purchase as described above and exchange is not expected by replacement of the lenses even after purchase, the store cannot respond to a customer's need and it is uneconomical to have a plurality of eyeglasses for use.